March's 'Blood Moon' lunar eclipse happens tonight: How to see it
Sky watchers will get an extra special treat tonight.
This month’s full moon, the "Worm Moon," comes with an extra celestial spectacle: A total lunar eclipse.
When is the total lunar eclipse?
Timeline:
The moon will be eclipsed by Earth's shadow early on March 14, according to NASA.
The eclipse begins at 11:57 p.m. ET Thursday and reaches totality at 2:59 a.m. ET Friday.
You don't need to be up in the middle of the night to see the full moon; our only natural satellite will appear full or nearly full from Wednesday through Saturday. But the eclipse will only happen on March 14.
FILE - This combination of pictures shows the moon in various stages of the Blood Moon during a total lunar eclipse in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Nov. 8, 2022. (Photo by Sanka Vidanagama/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Why will the moon look red?
Dig deeper:
Even though the moon will be in Earth's shadow during the eclipse, our planet won't quite block out all of the sun's light. Our atmosphere will filter out all but the reddish wavelengths of the remaining light – the same effect that makes our sunrises and sunsets red. As a result, the moon will take on a reddish-brown glow. This is why it’s called a "Blood" Worm Moon, as opposed to just a regular Worm Moon.
If the lunar eclipse wasn’t taking place on the same night as the full moon, it would just be called a Worm Moon, according to NASA.
Why is it called a Worm Moon?
The backstory:
March’s full moon is called the Worm Moon.
It was believed this name was given due to the earthworms that appeared as the soil warmed up during the spring, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
Another explanation for the name dates back to the 1760s when Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Dakota and other Native American tribes. Carver wrote that the name Worm Moon referenced a type of beetle larvae which began to emerge from thawing tree bark once winter was over.
When is the next total lunar eclipse?
What's next:
The next total lunar eclipse will be on Sept. 7, 2025, according to Time and Date.
Other March celestial events
What's next:
The Northern Hemisphere can look forward to more celestial activity next month.
The Lyrid meteor shower will take place between April 15 and April. The predicted peak, according to EarthSky, will take place on April 22.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from FOX Weather, NASA and EarthSky.org. This story was reported from Los Angeles.